Haunted Dominican Hill, Philippines

Baguio City in the Philippines is the home of a whole legion of ghosts.

Every corner of the city is believed to be haunted, but one old abandoned hotel is believed to be the most active in this “City of Pines.”

Diplomat Hotel

What was to become the Diplomat Hotel was built atop Dominican Hill in Baguio City in 1913.

Initially, it was a retreat house for the Friars of the Dominican Order. But this building’s history has not been a peaceful one. In fact, it has a very dark past.

By the onset of World War ll the building was used as a hospital and a safe-haven for refugees that had managed to escape the invading Japanese army.

Unfortunately, this site was eventually overtaken as well. The Kempeitai, the Japanese secret police then proceeded to commit horrendous atrocities against these refugees.

Diplomat Hotel's Fountain

The inhabitants were tortured, raped and killed. Two children were ruthlessly butchered near the patio fountain.

The nuns and priests didn’t escape this brutality. They were all decapitated.

The building was left to its sad history until the 1970s when it was repaired and converted into a 33-room hotel—The Diplomat.

But the building was once more abandoned in the 1980s after the owner died. The hotel was left to deteriorate.

 

Side view of Diplomat Hotel

The site became infamous for being the most haunted in Baguio City. This reputation is not unfounded.

Most of the activity is seen and heard at night.

Witnesses state they have seen headless apparitions. People report hearing heart-wrenching screams and cries and loud banging doors are heard when no one is in the old hotel.

One photograph
students took.

One group of students in the 1990s visited Diplomat Hill after their prom. Drinking beer and having fun, they explored the hotel. They didn’t believe they would actually see anything.

A wave of coldness swept over them, and they all saw a female in a white dress floating toward them. This ghostly figure was of average height, and her face was not visible.

At first, they admitted they didn’t comprehend what was going on.

One female in the group screamed and fainted. When she awoke, she acted strangely. She spoke in an odd voice and in a language none of them recognized.

Several members of the group had to hold her down. One student who had a rosary placed it around her neck. When she became alert she asked them what had happened—she was dizzy and didn’t remember.

Realizing she had been possessed by an entity, they then all left quickly.

It has been 25 years since this happened, and none of them have ever gone back.

This site has become a tourist destination. Because of this, the Philippine government has undertaken the restoration of this hotel. Today it is known as the “Dominican Heritage Hill and Nature Park.”

View from hotel atop Dominican Hill.

Its rooftop affords a beautiful panoramic view of the city, but to many, this has not alleviated the eerie feeling they get when visiting.